Cloud Collaboration Gets Boxed Into Security

Box Notes application employs all the same security layers that have made Box the go-to cloud-based sharing service among enterprises.

Sharing files and collaborating in the cloud are old news. DropBox, SkyDrive, Google Docs and many more cloud-based service providers have made it possible to store files, sync them, and make them accessible to others.

But one company is thinking outside the box (pun intended) and going beyond simple file sharing and collaboration. Box is making its first foray into the applications space with Box Notes, a tool that lets users capture and share ideas securely from anywhere in real-time.

And "securely" is the key word here. Box has distinguished itself from the rest of the file-sharing pack by offering very high security levels for its services. With 256-bit AES encryption, intrusion detection systems, redundant backups, uninterruptible power and more, Box has become the go-to cloud-based sharing service among enterprises. It boasts 180,000 corporate customers, including most of the Fortune 500.

Box Notes takes advantage of all those security layers. One feature that's sure to make a lot of IT admins happy is compliance with HIPAA and other regulatory standards. This means users can work on documents using Box Notes and not have to worry about privacy and other measures because they are all covered. This will be a huge feature for those in healthcare, finance and other markets that need to tread carefully when documents leave their secured, firewalled environment.

This strong security and compliance with regulations has taken over the spotlight on Box. This is interesting but not surprising, given the news about the National Security Agency's Prism program. Companies such as Microsoft, Google, Yahoo, and Facebook allegedly received millions of dollars in reimbursement for participating in the Prism surveillance program. The money allegedly went toward meeting new certification demands for surveillance operations and covering the costs of compliance with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) court.

Security is a major concern when it comes to collaboration. In fact, 49% of organizations block access to consumer file-sharing solutions like Dropbox and Box. Enterprise customers are looking for a solution that offers file-level security - security that will travel with the file wherever it goes, giving lifetime control of documents. A solution with the ability to G«£unshareG«• a document if needed, while also enabling workplace collaboration already exists today.

There's no doubt Google has made headway into businesses: Just 28 percent discourage or ban use of its productivity ≠products, and 69 percent cite Google Apps' good or excellent ≠mobility. But progress could still stall: 59 percent of nonusers ≠distrust the security of Google's cloud. Its data privacy is an open question, and 37 percent worry about integration.